I heard a guy in a TV commercial use the word. The guy and his wife are driving home with their newborn in the back seat. The wife is praising all the wonderful features of their new SUV, like the smooth ride. The guy looks like a kid who just accidentally ate Brussels sprouts. “What are you doing to the boy?” he admonishes. At the house, the guy cradles his son in his arms, standing in front of the SUV. The hood is  open. Of course, it’s open. He is that kind of guy. Gazing admiringly at the engine, he says, “Hemmy.” That word, and the reverential way in which it is uttered, sums up not simply the virtue of the SUV but the proper worldview of a true guy, testosteronic, revved.

Obviously, I am not that guy.

I’ve never liked car hoods. They’ve brought me nothing but embarrassment. I think Swedish women should have started designing cars a long time ago.